We didn't start the FireBy: Cassondra & Maddie

Homeless Vets- 1950 After the Vietnam War many vets came home to nothing, they felt as if they served the country and got nothing in return.

No jobs, many had mental problems after the war and there was nobody there to help them out.

Fact: Nearly half of those who served in Vietnam ended up homeless

Why Billy Joel thought it was needed in the song: It refereed to those who were shunned and abandoned, He knew that this was just a small part of the flame that is still burning today.

Most Americans today feel as if we shouldn't have gotten involved, it caused to many hardships

Peter Pan- 1955 It was a top Broadway entertainment. Children loved it and it got their mind off of war.

Peter Pan is still watched today.

Fact: The original Peter Pan was dark but the remake was a much lighter version.

He put this in the song to possibly show that sometimes things will start off looking dark but eventually it will all lighten up.

Disney Land- July 17, 1955 it was opened. It was a "magical park" for families. A place all kids dream of going.

Kids today still wish and hope that one day they get to go to Disneyland.

Fact: 14 of the original 18 attractions are still running.

He put this in his song because he too dreamed of going to Disneyland as a kid.

Stalin- Leader of Russia from the mid 20s until his death in 1953. He ruled before and during WW11 and most of the Cold War.

When people talk about WW11 today they still talk about Stalin and his involvement in the war.

Fact: Stalin's name means "man of steel"

Billy put Stalin in his song because of his large role in the Cold War.

Economic/Scientific/ Technological Developments

AIDS-1980 Disease began to spread world wide.

People began getting sick even before the disease had a name.

It killed more than 14,000 people by the end of 1980

Fact: People didn't want to kiss you on the check. They were unsure of how it spread.

Today we still have no cure.

It was included in the song because it was an epidemic that took over the world.

Foreign Debt- Caused an increase in inflation, and burdened American tax payers.

We got in a hole that is hard to climb out of.

Cuts were made on different people (job cuts,higher taxes)

Over 80 countries

He put it in the song because its a big problem that we as Americans have faced

Fact: US debit has doubled since the year 2000

TV- The TV was invented by Philo Farnsworth and Charles Jenkins. It is a system for transmitting visual images and sound that are reproduced on a screen.

They were first sold at 42 US stations. 1928- 1934 the 1st mechanical TV sets are sold to the public.

They were a major improvement for communication that can help us better understand the outside world. They are still used today to be able to see things we can't normally see and for entertainment.

Fact: By the time an American child reaches age 14 they have witnessed around 11,000 murders on TV

He included TVs in his song because at the time of this song TVs were beginning to become more and more popular.

Birth Control-Birth control was invented by Gregory Goodwin Pincus and approved for contraceptive use in 1960. Birth Control is a medicine containing hormones to prevent pregnancy. The first human trials of the drug were held in Massachusetts.

Changed the realities of human reproduction.

Heavily used today

Fact: It was so popular in the first two years 1.2 million women were using it.

In 1960 it is approved for contraceptive use.

The pills can affect your sense of smell

He put it in the song because it was something that became very popular quick

International and Public Relations

Berlin- 1961 Soviets erected the Berlin Wall, dividing the city into Russian controlled areas, and the area controlled US, Britain, and France.

Fact: Was the last major politico-military European incident of the cold war.

Today it has furthered our intelligence analysis of the presidential selection process.

It culminated the construction of the Berlin Wall.

He included it because it marks the key to the cold war.

Lil' Rock-1957 9 African American students enrolled at central high in Arkansas. They were kept away from the school because people thought Black and white should be separated.

Gained Worldwide attention

Shows that today in our society things have changed for the better.

It was put in the song because it was an important event that occurred in our history

Fact: The action of segregation was thought up only for the "good" of the students. It was thought up to "protect" them.

Elvis Presley- He was a famous singer that was drafted into the army.

In the US anyone could be drafted at the time.

He is still well known and no one expected him to be in the army

1958-1960 (served)

Fact: His famous hair was dyed.

He was in the song because he was the most popular of that time.

North Korea- June 25, 1950 Military events. Kim II-sung

location in the cold war

He included it in the song to tell about the horrors of the cold war, remind us of what it was like.